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Joined: Sep 2011
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Hello Everyone, I hope I am posting the right way , first time
I REALLY need some advice as I am a Newbie on the subject of Oral Cancer. From what I have been reading on this forum, you all sound very caring and have LOTs of info to share. I hope I can return some hope as well to you all sometime soon. My Story: Last week I discovered a whitish mark on my right inside cheek and a reddish mark on my left inner cheek. I havent seen a dentist in over 5 years (chicken) and wanted to get my teeth fixed anyway so I went to a very good dentist in my area (Ontario), he thought maybe my teeth were rubbing against my cheeks so he smoothed them to find out if that would solve the problem, I also have a painfull lump inside my inner cheek on the right , I also have pain in my left inner cheek but no lump. Went back about 5 days later to see if smoothing my teeth helped my patches but did not. Dentist then referred me to an oral surgeon that same day.( Forgot to mention that my nodes on or under my jaw on right side has been swollen for about 4 months and my face has drooped ) I had to tell the surgeon that I have a lump inside my cheek that is very painful, he seemed more interested in my lymph nodes swelling, so now he has referred my to an ear, nose, throat surgeon ( OTOLARNGOLIST) that is supposed to be world renowned surgeon in another city !!! Sorry this is very long.
My question is could/should I not get the lump biopsied in the mean time to get a move on treatment as my appointment with the specialist will be a very long wait, Im talking months maybe a year just to see him !! I need to know if this lump is cancerous or not as I have very bad anxiety. I can get the biopsy done by Oct 17th. Please, if anyone has any advice or experiences like this I really need to know.
Thanks in advance for any responses.

Scared Kim

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Hi Kim,

Glad that you found this forum which is extended family for most of us. Regarding your question, only biopsy can confirm if the lump is cancerous or not. I would suggest you to visit a CCC or a good ENT in your city who get that biospy done quickly (Oct 17th is too far). Any patch on cheek or lump lasting more than 2 weeks must be examined. IF it is cancer, then timely treatment will help and improve the prognosis.

Take good care of yourself.


Father; 67 yrs; RIP: 2012/05/26

TX:SCC pT2N1M0G2;Glossectomy+SND+CCRT(59.3Gy+6xCis.)[2009]
TX:Nodal Mets; 3xDCF[2011/05/05]
TX: RND + PMMC Flap[2011/07/11]
DX:SCC PNI+ECE
TX:Re-RT 60Gy[2011/09/21]
TX:Gefitinib 250mg[2011/12/18]
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Hi, Brave Kim
I'm just going to say welcome, and agree that you shouldn't wait months for an appointment! I am sure that one of our Canadian OCF members will on negotiating your healthcare system.

Last edited by Maria; 09-19-2011 02:20 PM. Reason: typo

CG to husband - SCC Tonsil T1N2M0 HPV+ Never Smoker
First symptoms 7/2010, DX 12/2010
TX 40 IRMT (1.8 gy) + 10 Cetuximab
PET Scans 6/2011 + 3/2012 clear, 5 year physical exam clear; chest CT's clear of cancer. On thyroid pills. Life is good.
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Kim,

You do not need to see a world class ENT to get biopsies. Just get to a good one in your town. If you ever ended up with the biopsy showing something serious, then you want a world class doctor to treat it. Right now you just need to know if it is serious and you need to know that as quickly as possible.
In general, oral cancer is not painful and typically only shows up on one side of the mouth. From what you are telling us it could be anything, so get those spots biopsied by any ENT as soon as possible and give yourself some peace of mind.

You will hear this often here �ITS NOT CANCER UNTIL A BIOPSY SAYS ITS CANCER�


Kelly
Male
48, SCC (Soft Palet) Rt.,
Stage 1, T3n0m0,
Dx, 8-09, Start IMRT 35 9-2-09 end 10-21-09
04-20-10 NED
8-11 recurrence, node rt. neck N2b
10-11 33 IMRT w/chemo wkly
3-12-12 PET - residual cancer
4-12 5 treatments with Cyberknife & Erbitux
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12-3-12 PET - CLEAR
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Welcome Kim, and I hope you get a biopsy asap and that it's negative. Please keep us posted.


David R. 65 yr old male non-smoker, light drinker, stage 3 or 4, depending on which doc you ask, scc rt. tonsil, 2 nodes, 7 weeks radiation and chemo. No surgery. Teatment ended 3/20/08. PET scan 8/08 showed no cancer.
And now, as of oct, 2010, caregiver to wife, Linda, with breast cancer.
May, 2013, Linda diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer. Enuf already.
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Kim,

Listen to the posts above get the biopsy ASAP.

Take care...Keep us posted.

Connie


SCC. of the left lateral tongue, anterior two thirds, T1 possibly a T2.
Left partial glossectomy, left selective neck dissection 4/21/09. Nodes clean, No Rad, No Chemo.

CT Scan 9/11 clean, CT Scan 9/12 clean


Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, FL. A+.

My hometown Lockport, NY.



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Hi, Thanks to all of you that have or will answer my post.
I just came back from seeing my Primary Dr. He said the oral surgeon probably just didnt feel like doing it so he passed it on. I think because he was concerned about the swollen nodes which he does not do. But anyhow my dr said there was no reason not to get it biopsied in town so I have an appointment with another dentist that WILL do it on Oct 17th, thats the soonest I can get someone in this town to do it, plus its going to cost me 104.00 for the pathologist report which I cant complain, its money well spent in my mind. If it IS cancer then I will certainly go to the "world renowned" Dr. LOL
In the meantime I will keep reading these very informative posts and wish everyone good health.

THANK YOU
KIM

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Hey there - okay - I'm from Toronto and I have never in my life paid for a pathology report - unless you"re a newly arrived Canadian - its all covered by OHIP - I don't know if they're charging you because it's a dentist doing it or what but here's my suggestion. Find an ENT that will take you ASAP! Call them - explain why you need a biopsy - tell them about the node, (if it's swollen and palpable, and you test positive it will have to come out along with a few of it's closest friends. ) if it is in your node it has already moved - this is why you need to be seen immediately. If you've had this node for 4 months that is a long time! Tell the ENT secretary this. I don't want to scare you but time is very important. If you wait until the 17th the path can take up to 10 days! That puts you almost into November. That's too long to wait. Call around find out who in your area can take you the quickest. Then get a referral from your GP. Tell them you are willing to be put on a wait list - and can be ready to go in no time. That way if they have a cancellation they can and will call. If you do test positive, the next steps are referral to a top notch ENT and a ct & MRI. If you are okay with paying, call around to dental surgeons too see who can fit you in. You don't say where you live in Ontario. But if it's close to Toronto, PMH is the best place to be treated. If you're not its still the best place. smile priority one is definitely the biopsy! Do not wait - sometimes you have to advocate for your self. push - make noise. Welcome ! And I sincerely hope you simply have an infection of some sort, so you don't have to be here - take care an do let us know what happens. Good luck! Btw - the dental surgeon should have biopsied your cheek. He definitely passed the buck which is a no no. It's cost you precious time. If he had done it like he was supposed to you would know the results that much sooner. And if it is positive then chances are your node will be too. I know some ENTs shy away from doing neck dissections, but usually the procedure here in Canada for a positive oral cancer (tongue, cheek, gum, and jaw) - non HPV related - is surgery first - including a neck dissection. So that node at this point is of little consequence. My surgeon told me I was having my tongue (1/3) replaced, and 40 nodes removed despite the fact that none were highlighted on the scans, thankfully he removed them as one started to swell in the 2 weeks over Christmas - and tested positive in the post op pathology Okay sorry - I may have said too much, but your dental surgeon has peeved me off! smile take care!


Last edited by Cheryld; 09-19-2011 12:43 PM.

Cheryl : Irritation - 2004 BX: 6/2008 : Inflam. BX: 12/10, DX: 12/10 : SCC - LS tongue well dif. T2N1M0. 2/11 hemigloss + recon. : PND - 40 nodes - 39 clear. 3/11 - 5/11 IMRT 33 + cis x2, PEG 3/28/11 - 5/19/11 3 head, 2 chest scans - clear(fingers crossed) HPV-, No smoke, drink, or drugs, Vegan
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Yup....I suggest to go to an ENT, not just a dentist. If they say they want to do a brush biopsy, I would ask them to not, as they aren't always accurate. With the swollen nodes, you should really see an ENT who can biopsy and order scans like CT or PET which will help them see if anything else could be going on.
Hope it's not cancer!


25/female at diagnosis
Dx;stage 3 SCC tongue 03/25/2010
Surgery 04/13/2010
Trach,ng tube, peg feeding tube
Hemiglossectomy, right side neck dissection, 40 lymph nodes removed. Free-Flap transplant to tongue.
30 rounds IMRT ended July 15,2010
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Cheryld, Yes I am ticked off too. I am about 1 1/2 hr away from Toronto, I was actually born and raised there. My question is what does PMH stand for ? Is this where you went ?
How long did you have to wait ? I know from researching not to get the brush biopsy but what one will they do between incisional or excisional. I just want this darm thing out of my mouth !! I dont know if I mentioned earlier that this lump I have is embedded in my inner cheek if that makes any difference as to what it could be. I will get on the phone tomorrow and call some ENT's, even if I have to go out of town.

Thanks so much for all advice and info
Kim

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